Chocolate Cake

Now this isn't your dense mud cake, ganache frosting kind of cake. I am still on the journey to find one such as that. This one rather is more of a light sponge cake still with the rich chocolatey flavour and still really yummy especially for birthday cakes.

The Family Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 115g of butter, softened
• 280g of brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 225g of plain flour
• 1/4 tsp of baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp of bicarb soda
• 40g of cocoa powder
• 225ml of milk

 ICING INGREDIENTS

• 450g of icing sugar
• 150g of dairy soft butter*
• 60g of cocoa powder, sifted
• 80ml of milk

METHOD

• Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Line two 8" round spring form tins with baking paper. 
• In a bowl beat butter and half (140g) of the  sugar until pale and creamy. 

 This is one my junior baking aprentice did and it is nice and creamy pale.

• In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and vanilla, gradually beating into mixture.
• Add remaining sugar beating until all combined.
• Sift in the flour, cooca, bicarb and baking powder and fold in, alternating with the milk. 
• Mix until smooth and divide between two tins evenly.

•  Bake for 30 minutes. Leave to cool in tin, as the cake is so moist it is quite delicate :)
• Allow to cool completely before icing.
• To make the icing beat butter and icing sugar until well combined. Add cocoa and milk and mix on high spead until icing is light and fluffly. If you just beat until incorporated the icing will still taste yummy but in icing the sides the cake will come with it. I know this from experience, so at beat icing for at least 5 minutes.

• Ice the first layer of the cake by turning the cake's top onto the bottom. I find it easier icing the sides on the first layer. If you wait until both layers are on the icing is usually uneven and you can see the edge. Ice the second layer and decorate.
• I used a 6 star piping nozzle.

•  In the past I have also melted dark chocolate and using a fork in quick motions back and forth waved chocolate in a cross hatch pattern over the top.

*NOTES: For all icing I use dairy soft or variations. I find the softened butter is perfect for icing as it still has the creamy butter taste yet doesn't go rock hard in the fridge like normal butter.